lake effect

noun

: a meteorological phenomenon in which warm moist air rising from a body of water mixes with cold dry air overhead resulting in precipitation especially downwind

—usually hyphenated when used attributively

lake-effect snows

Examples of lake effect in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

On Thanksgiving day and into the end of the week, expect snow in northern Michigan from the lake effect – when cold, dry air passes across a lake such as in the Great Lakes region – and from northeast Ohio into central New York, according to the National Weather Service. —Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 22 Nov. 2025

More than 1 foot of lake effect snow has fallen in some states. —Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 11 Nov. 2025

Many times, the first few cold shots of the winter can yield impressive lake effect snow since the lake waters are still relatively mild and can supply plenty of moisture to produce snow. —Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025

Snow will continue across Michigan early this week with advisories and storm warnings in place due to potentially heavy lake effect snow. —Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 10 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1951, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for lake effect

• aftereffect
• interconnect
• affect
• aspect
• bedecked
• bisect
• collect
• connect
• correct
• deflect
• detect
• direct